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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — newspapers
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wax — to grow
  9. march — music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. press — to push
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — all right
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mate — to breed
  24. racket — a loud noise

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