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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: stock · wave · nail · wax · racket · capital · mug · net

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stock — goods
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — for catching
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mug — to rob
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. net — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. net — after costs
  21. capital — money
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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