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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. swing — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rush — hurry
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stock — shares
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wax — to grow
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stock — goods

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