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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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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pound — a weight
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stock — goods
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. suit — clothes

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