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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. field — for sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. present — there
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — the time now
  11. object — to protest
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. object — an aim
  17. present — a gift
  18. march — the month
  19. field — a subject
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. field — farmland
  24. march — the month

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