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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · fine · bark · wax · racket · calf · mug · stock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. mug — a face
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — shares
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stock — goods
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — all right
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  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