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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
468
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: racket · date · safe · wax · chest · stock · tube · pound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wax — to grow
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — the fruit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tube — a container
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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