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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 120 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: wax · fine · stock · key · field · rash · bulb · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stock — goods
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. field — a subject
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stock — shares
  23. rash — a series
  24. wax — in the ear

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