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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wax — to grow
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chip — to eat
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. bat — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chip — for betting

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