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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. firm — a company
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stock — shares
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — help
  20. firm — steady
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stock — goods

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