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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: wax · nail · calf · fine · pound · field · squash · foot

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. field — farmland
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fine — all right

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