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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — for a lock
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. key — in music
  14. pass — a permit
  15. march — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — to grow
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wax — in the ear

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