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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: stick · wax · bark · stock · trunk · drill · chair · degree

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — a leader
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stock — goods
  7. degree — temperature
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. degree — from a university

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