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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pop — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stock — goods
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. field — for sport
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bore — to tire
  22. field — a subject
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wax — to grow

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