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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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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: squash · wax · stock · mate · game · leaves · wake · net

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — to crush
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — shares
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — for catching
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — a match
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wake — a trail
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mate — a friend
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the sport

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