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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: club · stock · field · dip · wax · bowl · nail · safe

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. club — a group
  6. stock — goods
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. dip — to sink
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. club — for golf
  22. field — farmland
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. field — for sport

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