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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 best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pop — soda
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stock — shares
  6. swing — in golf
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bass — low music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — the cause
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. swing — music
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the fish
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. root — of a word
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. root — of a plant
  24. dip — to sink

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