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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 120 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: firm · ground · field · wax · chest · tube · stick · rock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — a position
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — music
  8. field — farmland
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — a subject
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. field — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. firm — steady
  17. wax — to grow
  18. firm — decided
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — a stone
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chest — a box

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