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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stock — goods
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. root — of a word
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — a company
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — to grow
  12. spring — the season
  13. firm — decided
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. spring — of water
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. firm — steady
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stock — shares

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