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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wax — to grow
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — in control
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. march — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a dance
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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