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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 · track · kick · stock · vault · ground · prune · dip

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. prune — to trim
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kick — in football
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — goods
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. track — a song
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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