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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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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: track · wax · stock · foot · band · ball · snap · kid

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. kid — child
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. track — a path
  9. band — a music group
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a ring
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stock — goods
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — to keep track
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. foot — the bottom
  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