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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. game — a match
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. root — of a word
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — to fit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — the cause
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. net — after costs
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. game — a kind of play
  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