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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. root — the cause
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. field — farmland
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a word
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stand — to bear
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — on your feet

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