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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 124 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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — to grow
  12. swing — music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. swing — in golf
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. foot — a measure
  17. suit — clothes
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — bread
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. foot — the bottom

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