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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.

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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: suit · hand · leaves · wax · stock · mark · cap · jam

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — goods
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mark — a trace
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cap — a hat
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — to fit

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