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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 116 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: spell · game · calf · bass · prune · firm · stock · wax

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — a short time
  3. firm — a company
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. firm — decided
  9. spell — magic
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spell — letters
  12. stock — goods
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — steady
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. calf — of the leg

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