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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
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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: fine · stock · plane · mine · bulb · wax · board · degree

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. degree — an amount
  8. board — a committee
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — to get on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stock — shares
  19. fine — high quality
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. degree — temperature

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