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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · wax · mark · squash · row · suit · field · bark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. field — farmland
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bark — to shout
  18. row — a line
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — to crush
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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