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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — in control
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. charge — electricity
  11. perch — the fish
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wax — to grow
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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