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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: content · saw · prune · bark · can · wax · stock · pitcher

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. content — the amount
  18. stock — goods
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. content — happy
  22. bark — to shout
  23. can — a tin
  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