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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.

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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: ball · wax · mark · bound · dip · stock · staff · pitcher

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ball — a great time
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — goods
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. staff — a stick

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