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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · bowl · tear · march · vault · wax

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. march — music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. march — the month
  18. vault — a safe

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