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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: rule · foot · content · wave · bear · stock · clip · ball

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. clip — a video
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. content — happy
  7. stock — goods
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. content — the amount
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rule — government
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rule — a law
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stock — shares
  24. ball — a great time

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