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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a song
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — in control
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — a price
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — electricity
  16. track — to keep track
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a path
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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