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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. row — to paddle
  6. squash — the sport
  7. field — for sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — to crush
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — a stone
  22. field — a subject
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. field — farmland

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