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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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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fine — all right
  17. stock — goods
  18. wax — for sculpting

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