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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. 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 — all right
  2. fork — in a road
  3. content — the amount
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stock — goods
  6. net — in sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. club — a group
  15. stock — shares
  16. net — for catching
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — for dancing
  22. net — after costs
  23. club — for golf
  24. 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