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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: racket · rule · drill · wax · stock · can · ground · cap

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rule — government
  7. stock — goods
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ground — a position
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — army training
  16. stock — shares
  17. drill — a practice
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rule — a law

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