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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ball — a dance
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. mark — a trace
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. track — a path

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