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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: last · band · row · deal · stock · wave · bowl · chair

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stock — goods
  6. last — finally
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stock — shares
  11. last — to go on
  12. band — a music group
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. band — a ring
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. last — final
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. band — a rubber band

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