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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. firm — decided
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — goods
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stock — shares
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — to get on
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — a committee
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kid — child
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — size or range
  24. firm — steady

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