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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — to come down
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stock — goods
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. land — ground
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stock — shares
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. land — a country
  24. ball — a round shape

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