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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: stock · toast · ground · bay · racket · wax · fork · calf

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ground — a position
  9. toast — bread
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — the earth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wax — to grow
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bay — a horse colour

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