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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 116 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: saw · fine · bore · field · bat · march · pound · wax

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pound — a weight
  5. field — a subject
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. march — music
  20. fine — high quality
  21. march — the month
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. bore — gave birth

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