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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — the sport
  9. track — a path
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — bread
  15. field — a subject
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. field — farmland
  24. squash — to crush

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