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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a trace
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bat — the animal

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