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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — army training
  3. current — happening now
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — for sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. field — a subject
  19. current — electric
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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