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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — in music
  5. band — a music group
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. present — there
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wax — to grow
  13. present — a gift
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. field — for sport
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. band — a ring

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