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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: racket · fork · bay · file · saw · wax · stock · pound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a tool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — a weight
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — shares
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a document
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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