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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: snap · leaves · stock · court · scale · foot · wax · wind

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. foot — a measure
  3. snap — to click
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. court — of law
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — shares
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. scale — size or range

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