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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. field — farmland
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. court — of law
  10. staff — employees
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. object — an aim
  20. wind — moving air
  21. object — to protest
  22. staff — a stick
  23. court — for sport
  24. field — for sport

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