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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · pit · stock · wax · root · toast · march · saw

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. march — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. sharp — clever
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. march — the month
  11. root — the cause
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — goods
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wax — to grow
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pit — in a race

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