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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: spell · chair · stock · pass · bowl · club · wake · kid

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. club — for golf
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pass — a permit
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — goods
  15. kid — child
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — shares
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pass — to succeed

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