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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: stock · toast · chip · track · cap · wax · stem · arm

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — to keep track
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — to come from
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wax — to grow
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. track — a path
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. track — a song
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chip — for betting

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