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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — a group
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — a publisher
  19. march — the month
  20. key — the most important part
  21. press — to push
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — a horse colour

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