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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — size or range
  4. game — a match
  5. pit — in a race
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. scale — in music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — music

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