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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — to grow
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. clip — for paper
  12. court — of law
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stock — shares
  21. clip — to cut
  22. board — a committee
  23. clip — a video
  24. board — to get 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