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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. track — a song
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. field — farmland
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bear — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. field — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. capital — a city
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bound — certain
  22. track — a path
  23. field — a subject
  24. rock — a stone

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