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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.

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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: swing · bore · cue · wax · stock · suit · bulb · degree

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — goods
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. degree — an amount
  19. suit — to fit
  20. swing — in golf
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. swing — to play on

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