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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. fine — high quality
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — all right
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — an aim
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a match
  24. kick — with a leg

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