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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. field — a subject
  2. dip — to sink
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — farmland
  6. shower — rain
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — after costs
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wax — to grow
  16. shower — to wash
  17. swing — to play on
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. suit — to fit
  20. net — for catching
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. dip — to dunk
  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