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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bass — low music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wax — for sculpting

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