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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · mouse · pitcher · field · stand · wax · bear · cap

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — a subject
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stand — to bear
  14. field — for sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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