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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. present — a gift
  6. wax — to grow
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — a law
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — shares
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — there
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — the time now

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