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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. root — the cause
  4. kick — in football
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. root — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wax — to grow
  12. capital — a city
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. march — the month
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. capital — money
  20. root — of a word
  21. row — a line
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kick — with a leg

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