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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: bulb · kick · wax · stock · mark · suit · spring · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — shares
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spring — the season
  14. ball — a dance
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kick — in football

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