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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pop — soda
  3. current — happening now
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — farmland
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pop — music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. current — electric
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — a subject
  23. current — of water
  24. mine — for digging

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