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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stock — goods
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lean — thin
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lean — to bend
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — shares
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pass — to spend time

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