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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
468
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 · key · cap · squash · bear · drill · bank · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. drill — army training
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bank — for money
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — to grow
  17. key — in music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. drill — a practice

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