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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.

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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. charge — in control
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wax — to grow
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. board — a committee
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to drill

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