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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — farmland
  6. degree — temperature
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — a subject
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — for sport
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wax — to grow
  24. foot — part of the body

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