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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — low music
  7. capital — a city
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. suit — to fit
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — the time now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. present — a gift
  19. capital — money
  20. bass — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — shares
  23. present — there
  24. wax — to grow

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