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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: wax · snap · field · stand · bass · toast · spell · stock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. field — a subject
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to click
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stock — shares
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spell — letters
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. toast — bread
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bass — low music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. field — farmland
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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