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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. club — for dancing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — to grow
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. face — to point toward

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