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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: mouse · wax · jam · deal · field · pound · pit · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. field — farmland
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. field — a subject
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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