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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: wave · fan · stock · perch · ball · stick · tube · last

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a dance
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — goods
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. tube — in a tire

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