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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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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: fork · wax · suit · stick · chair · bowl · deal · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — a leader
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — in cards
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fork — a garden tool

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