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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — farmland
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. field — for sport
  5. swing — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — to grow
  9. toast — bread
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pass — a permit
  18. field — a subject
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rest — a break

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