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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. current — of water
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — to come down
  5. current — electric
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. land — ground
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — a thing
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. march — the month
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — the month
  18. current — happening now
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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