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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: toast · field · snap · pitcher · rule · staff · wax · game

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wax — to grow
  9. snap — to click
  10. game — wild animals
  11. staff — a stick
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rule — government
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. game — a match
  16. field — for sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. toast — bread
  19. field — a subject
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. field — farmland

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