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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: arm · stock · lean · chip · toast · ground · field · wax

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — a subject
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stock — shares
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. field — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — a position
  22. stock — goods
  23. toast — bread
  24. stock — a soup base

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