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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — to grow
  3. roll — a list
  4. wake — a trail
  5. field — a subject
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. field — for sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stand — to bear
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — shares
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. toast — bread
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. field — farmland
  21. stock — goods
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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