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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: leaves · present · drill · ground · stock · rock · mug · wave

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. present — there
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — a gift
  16. drill — a practice
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — the time now
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stock — shares
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rock — to move gently

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