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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. field — for sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. field — a subject
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pitch — completely
  21. charge — a price
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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