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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 · mug · wax · pound · game · fall · vault · board

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. stock — shares
  3. fall — the season
  4. stock — goods
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a match
  13. board — to get on
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. board — a committee
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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