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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wax — to grow
  5. race — a contest
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — a measure
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — farmland
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bark — to shout
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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