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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. field — a subject
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. current — electric
  11. craft — boats
  12. current — happening now
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — farmland
  17. current — of water
  18. mug — a face
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mug — a cup

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