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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  2. stock — goods
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — to come down
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rest — a break
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — army training
  23. land — ground
  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