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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: mug · pitcher · stem · march · wax · scale · hide · degree

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — a face
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. march — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — to keep secret

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