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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: content · bass · current · wax · row · stock · track · chair

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — a path
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — shares
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. row — a line
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. content — the amount
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — low music

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