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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. scale — in music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — to grow
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — size or range

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