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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: wax · foot · ground · pitch · stock · bulb · lean · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — a position
  6. lean — thin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a song
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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