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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: field · swing · spell · dip · pitcher · cap · bank · wax

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. field — farmland
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. field — a subject
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spell — a short time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — a lid

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