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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: rush · spring · field · jam · wax · club · perch · rock

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. field — a subject
  6. spring — the season
  7. club — for golf
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — hurry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. field — farmland
  13. club — for dancing
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rock — a stone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — for sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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