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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — farmland
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. staff — employees
  8. content — the amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — of water
  12. content — happy
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — a stick
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — to handle

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