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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 116 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spring — the season
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pound — a weight
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — magic
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — letters
  13. spring — of water
  14. march — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — a coil
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. charge — a price
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mark — to pay attention

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