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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. roll — a cake
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fine — all right
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stock — goods
  23. mate — to breed
  24. roll — a list

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