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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — goods
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. drill — a practice
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — army training
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stock — shares
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a great time
  24. date — on the calendar

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