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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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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 · deal · cell · wax · wake · board · key · racket

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — in music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cell — in biology
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — to get on
  14. stock — shares
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. board — a committee
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — a phone

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