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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.

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: race · field · court · fine · object · bowl · bass · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. object — a thing
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. object — an aim
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — farmland
  14. court — of law
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. object — to protest
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — of a king
  20. race — humankind
  21. field — a subject
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. race — a contest
  24. court — for sport

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