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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: bay · bass · stock · wax · mouse · club · craft · pop

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. club — for golf
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. craft — boats
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stock — goods
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. club — a group
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pop — music

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