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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.

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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: racket · lean · ball · bat · bore · stock · wax · staff

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — thin
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bat — for baseball

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