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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: tube · lash · wax · pop · racket · stock · pitcher · mate

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pop — music
  4. tube — a container
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — soda
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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