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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — all right
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wax — to grow
  11. field — a subject
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — farmland
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. field — for sport
  24. wax — in the ear

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