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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stock — shares
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — goods
  14. field — farmland
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mug — a face
  23. field — for sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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