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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. wax — to grow

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