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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — newspapers
  10. capital — a city
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — for sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. craft — boats
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — a skill
  20. press — to push
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. capital — money

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