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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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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: game · stock · can · suit · ball · fan · present · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stock — goods
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wax — to grow
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. present — a gift
  17. suit — to fit
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a match
  21. stock — shares
  22. ball — a dance
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fan — a supporter

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