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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fall — the season
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — to keep track
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. field — farmland
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wax — in the ear

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