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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — goods
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. race — humankind
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. race — a contest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a car

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