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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — a song
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. field — for sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. degree — from a university
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chip — for betting
  15. sharp — clever
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — the animal

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