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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — to grow
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — of a king
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — of law
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — to get on

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