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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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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: bowl · pitcher · race · wound · wax · object · perch · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. race — the arms race
  5. object — to protest
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. march — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — the month
  13. object — a thing
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — a contest
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — to grow
  20. perch — the fish
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — an aim
  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