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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — to bear
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. track — to keep track
  8. race — the arms race
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — a path
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. race — a contest
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. race — humankind

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