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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a hole
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — all right
  8. spring — the season
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — for catching
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — in a race
  17. spring — a coil
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — in sport
  24. spring — of water

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