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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: stick · foot · wax · stock · perch · toast · last · jam

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stock — goods
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. foot — a measure
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. last — finally
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. last — final
  20. perch — the fish
  21. last — to go on
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — shares

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