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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a cup
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mug — a face
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — shares
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — high quality
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fine — a penalty

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