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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wax — to grow
  3. club — for golf
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ground — a position
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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