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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
468
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: stock · wax · mouse · stand · track · pound · leaves · kid

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. kid — child
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — a path
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. track — to keep track
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stock — shares
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wax — to grow
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stand — to bear
  22. track — a song
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stock — goods

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