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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. field — for sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. field — a subject
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — farmland
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stock — a soup base

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