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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.

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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: nail · row · bay · field · root · fall · stock · wax

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. wax — to grow
  5. row — a line
  6. field — a subject
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. root — the cause
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stock — shares
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — for sculpting

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