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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stock — goods
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — the fish
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — humankind
  13. season — of the year
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. craft — a skill
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bass — low music
  22. race — a contest
  23. capital — money
  24. craft — boats

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