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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: season · field · lean · swing · pop · track · mouse · wax

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. track — a song
  6. field — a subject
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. field — for sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. track — a path
  12. swing — in golf
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. season — of the year
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. field — farmland
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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