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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: field · suit · rock · swing · wax · mouse · bass · bound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bound — certain
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bound — obliged
  13. suit — to fit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. field — farmland
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wax — to grow
  19. field — a subject
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — music
  24. bass — low music

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