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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. swing — music
  4. field — farmland
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — to play on
  13. net — in sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. net — after costs
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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