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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — a gift
  4. file — a document
  5. present — the time now
  6. degree — from a university
  7. file — a line of people
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mug — to rob
  14. present — there
  15. mug — a face
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. club — for golf
  18. mug — a cup
  19. file — a tool
  20. wax — to grow
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — shares
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stock — a soup base

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