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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 116 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. field — a subject
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fine — all right
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. field — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a cup
  24. content — the amount

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