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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — a friend
  4. suit — clothes
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mate — to breed
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mate — a partner
  11. field — a subject
  12. game — wild animals
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — a break
  18. field — farmland
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. game — a match

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