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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · spell · drill · scale · pit · stock · wax · temple

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pit — a hole
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. row — to paddle
  14. spell — letters
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a line
  17. spell — magic
  18. pit — in a race
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. scale — for weighing

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