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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — a weight
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. field — for sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — a break
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — in geometry

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