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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.

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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: bowl · wound · wax · root · march · fork · bay · present

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. root — of a word
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. march — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. march — the month
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. root — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fork — to eat with

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