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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. pit — in a race
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ball — a dance
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — certain
  12. spell — letters
  13. board — a committee
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — a company
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. firm — steady
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. field — farmland
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pit — a hole

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