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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 116 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: hand · content · scale · wax · root · tube · charge · stock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hand — in cards
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — in music
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — of a word
  15. charge — in control
  16. scale — size or range
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. content — the amount
  21. hand — help
  22. root — the cause
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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