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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — in control
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ground — a position
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — a hat
  8. object — a thing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wax — to grow
  15. squash — the sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cap — of ice
  20. squash — to crush
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. squash — the vegetable

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