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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: stand · dip · bowl · jam · track · prune · wax · field

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. field — a subject
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — to grow
  9. track — a path
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. field — for sport
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. field — farmland
  24. jam — in traffic

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