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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rush — hurry
  4. roll — a list
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — a cake
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. charge — electricity
  11. field — a subject
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — farmland
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. charge — in control
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. date — the fruit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. charge — a price

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