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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: stem · net · wax · stock · suit · bowl · racket · bore

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. net — for catching
  5. stock — shares
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. net — in sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wax — to grow
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stem — of a plant

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