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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. mark — a trace
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — a series
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. field — farmland
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. board — a committee

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