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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 120 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: ruler · squash · net · coach · stock · wake · wave · tube

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — the sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. net — after costs
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. net — for catching
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — in sport
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — a container
  24. ruler — a monarch

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