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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: fork · leaves · field · wake · pound · wax · key · firm

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. firm — a company
  3. field — a subject
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. firm — decided
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wake — a trail
  22. field — for sport
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. firm — steady

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