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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — a container
  6. scale — in music
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stock — goods
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — for weighing

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