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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. field — farmland
  8. dip — to sink
  9. current — happening now
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ball — a dance
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — in control
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. field — a subject
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ball — a great time
  24. charge — a price

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