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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: dip · mouse · bank · date · roll · wax · pop · field

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. field — a subject
  4. bank — of a river
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pop — soda
  10. field — farmland
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. field — for sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — music
  22. date — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. date — on the calendar

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