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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. swing — music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. file — a document
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a line of people
  22. field — farmland
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. swing — to play on

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