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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: game · firm · field · staff · club · bay · bass · wax

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. field — farmland
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. club — a group
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. staff — a stick
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

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