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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: club · wax · foot · stock · object · kick · bulb · coach

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stock — shares
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — in football
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stock — goods
  12. object — a thing
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. club — for golf
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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