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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — farmland
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — to grow
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chip — for betting
  10. season — of the year
  11. band — a music group
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. field — for sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wax — in the ear

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