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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. toast — bread
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. current — happening now
  8. ball — a great time
  9. current — of water
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — low music
  15. field — for sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. current — electric
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — a subject
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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