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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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 — a soup base
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stock — shares
  10. saw — the tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. firm — decided
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. firm — a company
  20. wind — moving air
  21. scale — in music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chip — to eat
  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