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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — goods
  18. content — happy
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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