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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — the time now
  4. field — for sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. field — farmland
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rest — a break
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. swing — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. present — a gift
  16. wax — to grow
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. swing — to play on
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. staff — a stick
  24. present — there

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