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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: pop · wax · stock · foot · march · toast · present · wake

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. march — the month
  3. present — the time now
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — to visit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. march — the month
  13. toast — bread
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pop — soda
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. march — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — there
  23. wake — a trail
  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