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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — goods
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stock — shares
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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