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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: spell · wax · stock · mug · game · perch · row · bass

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — a short time
  5. row — to paddle
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bass — the fish
  10. row — a line
  11. game — a match
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spell — magic
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — a face
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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