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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · march · clip · pit · pound · ruler · cap · wax

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cap — of ice
  7. clip — a video
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cap — a lid
  13. march — music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — there
  24. ruler — for measuring

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