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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. firm — a company
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. calf — a young animal

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