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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stock — shares
  3. firm — a company
  4. squash — the sport
  5. court — for sport
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — goods
  11. court — of law
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. firm — decided
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. firm — steady

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