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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. race — a contest
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — to grow
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — in a race
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — humankind
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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