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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pop — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to click
  21. pop — soda
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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