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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 120 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 · bass · nail · fine · wax · firm · march · tube

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wax — to grow
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — low music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. firm — steady
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — decided
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — all right
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. march — music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — a company
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — in a road

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