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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stock — shares
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — to grow
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — goods
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — a path
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fan — a supporter

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