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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · root · game · wax · wave · net

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — goods
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. wave — with your hand

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