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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — happening now
  6. march — the month
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. field — for sport
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. field — farmland
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. craft — boats
  16. march — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mouse — the 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