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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. field — a subject
  16. pop — to visit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kick — in football
  20. field — farmland
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pop — music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bear — the animal

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