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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — for sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — in music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. can — to be able to
  16. degree — from a university
  17. field — a subject
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. degree — an amount
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. field — farmland
  24. pop — music

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