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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — for sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — a company
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — decided
  14. root — the cause
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. march — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a plant
  20. field — a subject
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — steady
  23. root — of a word
  24. wax — in the ear

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