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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · degree · pit · wax · march · bulb · can · ruler

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pit — in a race
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — a series
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. can — a tin

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