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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. content — happy
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. charge — a price
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stem — to come from
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. content — the amount
  13. stock — shares
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stock — goods
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. charge — in control
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. suit — in cards

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