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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. capital — money
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bound — obliged
  14. march — the month
  15. capital — a city
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — music

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