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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rash — hasty
  7. land — ground
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — to come down
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. court — of a king
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. field — farmland
  21. land — a country
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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