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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: wax · fork · present · bowl · spell · rule · track · firm

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. present — there
  3. spell — magic
  4. firm — steady
  5. track — a song
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rule — a law
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. spell — letters
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — a gift
  16. firm — decided
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. firm — a company
  23. present — the time now
  24. rule — government

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