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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · mouse · bat · wax · safe · can · game · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — farmland
  17. game — a match
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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