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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: pop · wax · stock · tear · tube · racket · bear · net

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wax — to grow
  3. net — after costs
  4. stock — shares
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. net — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — for catching
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pop — soda
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stock — goods
  24. racket — a loud noise

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