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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · bear · date · scale · ball · pitch · snap · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — size or range
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. march — the month
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. march — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to click
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ball — a dance

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