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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — an aim
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wax — to grow
  8. object — a thing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stock — goods
  16. object — to protest
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kid — child
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stock — shares

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