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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 difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — a box
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. club — a group
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — for golf
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — shares
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rule — a law
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — goods
  22. rule — government
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chest — of your body

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