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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stock — goods
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — to grow
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — shares
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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