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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: racket · wax · field · mouse · board · bear · current · branch

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — a division
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. current — happening now
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — to get on
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — a subject
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bear — to put up with

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