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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — to get on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. board — a committee
  13. stock — shares
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — goods
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — to bear
  18. board — a flat piece

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