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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: net · safe · scale · board · fan · stock · game · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. board — a committee
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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