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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. race — humankind
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ground — a position
  6. race — a contest
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — farmland
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — the earth
  18. race — the arms race
  19. field — for sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — a subject
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — crushed

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