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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · fan · ball · clip · mate · wake · roll · mine

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mate — a partner
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. clip — a video
  10. stock — shares
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. roll — a list
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — goods
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com