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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cap — of ice
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitch — a sports field

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