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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wax — to grow
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. craft — boats
  5. pop — soda
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. stock — shares
  10. pop — to visit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — a thing
  16. stock — goods
  17. pop — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. foot — a measure
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wax — in the ear

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