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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — to get on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. charge — in control
  21. stock — shares
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — a committee

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