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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. field — for sport
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — in music
  11. net — for catching
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — a hint
  21. net — after costs
  22. key — the most important part
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — to grow

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