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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. field — for sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. roll — a list
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — a subject
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — to grow
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pop — to visit
  20. club — a group
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — farmland
  24. club — for golf

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