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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bark — to shout
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. rest — a break
  12. field — farmland
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mark — a trace
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. game — a match

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