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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. march — music
  4. board — a committee
  5. bore — to drill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. march — the month
  10. board — to get on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wax — to grow
  24. vault — a safe

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