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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. field — a subject
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. drill — a practice
  5. field — farmland
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — the time now
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — a committee
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — there
  16. fine — all right
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — soda
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. field — for sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — music
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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