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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: object · stock · fork · cap · chip · wax · bear · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — of ice
  3. object — an aim
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stock — shares
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. bear — the animal

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