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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · pop · row · present · land · pitch · stock · wax

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. row — a line
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — there
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. present — a gift
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. land — to come down
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. land — a country
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. wax — for sculpting

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