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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — the earth
  4. firm — decided
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ground — a position
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — in control
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. firm — a company
  16. bass — low music
  17. field — for sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. charge — electricity
  20. field — a subject
  21. row — to paddle
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — crushed
  24. firm — steady

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