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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: row · club · deal · wax · foot · stock · arm · straw

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stock — goods
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stock — shares
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for dancing
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wax — to grow
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. row — a line
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. club — a group

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