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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — to push
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cap — of ice
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. suit — to fit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cap — a lid
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — for sculpting

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