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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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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: mark · fan · squash · foot · toast · wax · field · dip

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wax — to grow
  6. field — a subject
  7. mark — a grade
  8. toast — bread
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. foot — a measure
  24. squash — the 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