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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. season — of the year
  14. wax — to grow
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. foot — a measure
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — in sport

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