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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 120 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: cell · stock · nail · wax · foot · band · chip · cap

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stock — shares
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a music group
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cap — a lid

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