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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. march — the month
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — an aim
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. march — music
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wax — to grow
  19. object — to protest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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