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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: object · pass · cabinet · wax · march · court · perch · degree

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wax — to grow
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. court — of a king
  15. march — the month
  16. court — of law
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wax — for sculpting

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