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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: board · wax · capital · staff · bulb · bank · wake · stock

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — shares
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bank — of a river
  8. board — to get on
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. board — a committee
  15. staff — employees
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — goods
  24. staff — employees

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