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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a path
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chip — for betting
  21. firm — decided
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lean — to bend
  24. field — a subject

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