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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · leaves · wax · prune · deal · field · drill · bass

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — army training
  6. field — farmland
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bass — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bass — low music
  15. field — for sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. perch — the fish
  19. prune — to trim
  20. drill — the tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — a subject
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — for sculpting

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