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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. foot — a measure
  8. scale — in music
  9. field — a subject
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. scale — size or range
  13. swing — in golf
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. swing — to play on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. patient — a sick person

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