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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. field — a subject
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — high quality
  8. field — for sport
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cue — for pool
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. field — farmland
  16. stand — to bear
  17. current — of water
  18. cue — a hint
  19. race — humankind
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — all right
  24. current — electric

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