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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. court — of law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. field — for sport
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — a group

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