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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. object — a thing
  8. field — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. field — a subject
  11. kid — child
  12. fine — all right
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. object — an aim
  15. field — farmland
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. coach — a trainer

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