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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — a practice
  5. field — farmland
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. field — a subject
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wax — to grow
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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