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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: pass · bay · wax · pound · stock · plane · ground · row

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pass — a permit
  4. row — a line
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stock — goods
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ground — a position
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ground — crushed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wax — to grow

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