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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a great time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ball — a round shape

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