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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — goods
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — for light

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