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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: stock · tube · pitcher · wax · bat · leaves · swing · bank

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. swing — in golf
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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