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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. root — the cause
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fine — high quality
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — of a word
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ground — a position
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. ground — crushed
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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