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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: swing · wax · bass · ruler · pass · bore · fork · field

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bass — the fish
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — a subject
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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