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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · dip · stock · wave · land · present · tube · cue

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — a signal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cue — for pool
  8. present — there
  9. land — ground
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. land — a country
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. present — the time now
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. land — to come down

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