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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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 — the month
  2. court — for sport
  3. march — the month
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. march — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — a path
  12. key — in music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mine — for digging
  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