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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tube — a container
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stock — goods
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — for catching
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tube — the underground
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — after costs
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — to fit

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