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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.

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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mate — a partner
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. game — a match
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — a series
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pound — a weight

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