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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: saw · safe · stock · wax · deal · leaves · track · pitch

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. deal — to handle
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a song

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