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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: pass · wax · bore · net · trunk · field · club · rock

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — to grow
  3. field — for sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. field — a subject
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — farmland
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — music
  22. club — a group
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rock — a stone

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