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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: wax · bass · pound · stock · season · mouse · calf · cue

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bass — low music
  18. season — of the year
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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