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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.

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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: wax · last · stock · lie · pitch · mark · bark · scale

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lie — to recline
  6. last — final
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mark — a grade
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bark — to shout
  15. last — to go on
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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