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

Word bank: race · field · tear · club · wax · bowl · ruler · wave

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. race — humankind
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. tear — from crying
  13. field — a subject
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — for dancing
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for 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