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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stand — to bear
  7. scale — in music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. deal — to handle
  15. last — to go on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. last — final
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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