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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · net · degree · craft · temple · squash · bulb · wax

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — an amount
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — in sport
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. net — after costs
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. degree — temperature
  17. craft — boats
  18. degree — from a university
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — for catching
  22. stock — goods
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — a soup base

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