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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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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: kid · wax · field · charge · calf · saw · vault · club

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. field — farmland
  6. club — for dancing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — a group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — in control
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. field — a subject
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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