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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. scale — in music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. drill — army training
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stock — shares
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rock — music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chair — to sit on

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