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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — happening now
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kid — child
  13. net — in sport
  14. current — of water
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. kid — to tease
  21. current — electric
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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