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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitch — completely
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. face — to confront
  11. field — a subject
  12. craft — a skill
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — to point toward
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — for sport
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitch — a sports field

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