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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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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: wax · club · fine · ruler · snap · field · clip · march

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. club — for golf
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fine — all right
  11. march — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. clip — a video
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fine — high quality
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. march — the month
  24. field — for sport

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