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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: toast · lean · wax · ruler · mouse · stock · court · season

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stock — shares
  9. season — of the year
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — thin
  14. toast — bread
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. court — of a king
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — for sport
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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