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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: mouse · patient · field · pit · squash · mark · craft · wax

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mark — a trace
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — farmland
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — a hole
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — a subject
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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