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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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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 · fall · rash · wax · racket · stock · stick · kid

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — a group
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. club — for golf
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — the season
  16. rash — a series
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kid — child
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fall — to drop

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