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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. court — of a king
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — for sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — of law
  24. drill — a practice

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