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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — goods
  14. charge — a price
  15. toast — bread
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — shares
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — the fruit

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