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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wax — to grow
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — shares
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stock — goods
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — a division
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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