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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mark — a trace
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a hole
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a music group
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pit — in a race
  24. swing — in golf

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