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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. field — a subject
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. field — farmland
  11. board — a committee
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. present — a gift
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ground — crushed
  18. field — for sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — a position
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rock — a stone
  23. present — there
  24. row — a line

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