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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rule — government
  7. tube — a container
  8. march — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tube — the underground
  12. current — happening now
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — electric
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitch — completely
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. land — a country
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. current — of water
  24. land — ground

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