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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wax — to grow
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pound — a weight
  12. field — farmland
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — for sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. field — a subject
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a football final

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