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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. hand — help
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mark — a grade
  8. track — a song
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — a path
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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