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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: pitcher · mate · deal · wax · plane · object · patient · stock

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — to protest
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a partner
  12. object — an aim
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — goods
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitcher — a jug

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