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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: jam · lash · fall · pit · fan · stock · wax · pop

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pop — soda
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fall — the season
  24. pop — to visit

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