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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. deal — to handle
  3. march — the month
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wake — a trail
  10. track — a song
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. track — a path
  16. toast — bread
  17. mark — a trace
  18. march — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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