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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: rush · pitcher · wax · bay · branch · bass · bank · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. field — for sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. field — a subject
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — to grow

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