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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: mark · foot · can · pitcher · wax · saw · bark · staff

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — a tin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — a stick
  11. foot — a measure
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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