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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — to grow
  8. field — for sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pound — a weight
  14. field — a subject
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. field — farmland
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. toast — bread
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. toast — the most admired

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