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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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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — shares
  4. field — a subject
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. field — farmland
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. field — for sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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