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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — goods
  13. date — the fruit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. toast — bread
  19. track — a song
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mark — a grade
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. branch — a division

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