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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a cup
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wax — to grow
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — a face
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stock — shares
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chair — a leader
  24. craft — boats

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