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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making 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. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — farmland
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mate — a partner
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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