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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — a permit
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. march — music

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