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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — of water
  4. plane — a tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — happening now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a song
  11. toast — bread
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — the cause
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. track — a path
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — to bear
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. racket — a loud noise

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