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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — magic
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. field — for sport
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fine — all right
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — high quality
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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