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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. field — farmland
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — for sport
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — a subject
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fine — high quality
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — all right
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — to handle
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — to grow
  18. key — in music

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