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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wax — to grow
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stock — goods
  6. spell — letters
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — shares
  19. spell — a short time
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stock — a soup base

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