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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · perch · bear · net · foot · rule · wax · mug

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bear — the animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — to rob
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. field — for sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — a cup
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rule — a law
  20. wax — to grow
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. field — farmland
  24. rule — government

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