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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — in a race
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stem — to come from
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — in the ear

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