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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
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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: bulb · object · field · fork · mate · kid · wax · ground

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. object — an aim
  4. field — for sport
  5. object — a thing
  6. kid — child
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — to tease
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — to protest

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