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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. key — for a lock
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stock — goods
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — in music
  15. field — farmland
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pit — in a race
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. staff — employees

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