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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: rule · ball · stock · wave · toast · degree · can · wake

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. degree — from a university
  4. can — a tin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wake — a trail
  7. degree — an amount
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rule — government
  15. degree — temperature
  16. toast — bread
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stock — a soup base

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