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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: pound · mouse · ball · stock · track · press · wax · prune

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — goods
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — a song
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — to push
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — the animal

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