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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: band · chip · bulb · wax · field · shower · fork · firm

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. field — for sport
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. field — farmland
  7. band — a ring
  8. chip — to eat
  9. band — a music group
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. field — a subject
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bulb — of a plant

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