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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. court — of a king
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kick — in football
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — a path
  15. court — of law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — a song
  19. field — for sport
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — a subject
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. field — farmland
  24. foot — a measure

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