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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 116 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: field · stock · wax · kick · mouse · band · cue · club

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. field — a subject
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. club — a group
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. band — a ring

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