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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — goods
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. march — the month
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — a contest

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