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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — goods
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mark — a trace
  15. club — for golf
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — shares
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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