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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — of a word
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. field — farmland
  17. march — music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. suit — to fit
  20. field — a subject
  21. root — the cause
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — for sport

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