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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. toast — bread
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. march — the month
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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