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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stock — goods
  3. drill — army training
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. capital — a city
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. stock — shares
  16. pop — soda
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pop — music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rule — a law

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