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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 116 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: mine · wake · pitcher · pound · branch · stock · wax · pop

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. branch — a division
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stock — goods
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — shares
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wax — for sculpting

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