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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — in music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. march — the month
  14. object — an aim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. object — to protest
  24. pop — 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