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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bulb — for light
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mate — a friend
  20. field — a subject
  21. degree — an amount
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stand — to bear
  24. degree — from a university

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