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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. field — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. field — farmland
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — to eat
  12. field — a subject
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rock — music

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