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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — letters
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — there
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — the time now
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spell — magic
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bowl — a dish

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