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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. charge — in control
  3. mug — a face
  4. firm — decided
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mug — to rob
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. wax — to grow
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. firm — steady
  24. field — a subject

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