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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. board — a committee
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — to get on
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. club — a group
  10. net — in sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. firm — steady
  16. mate — a friend
  17. club — for golf
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — to breed
  21. firm — decided
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — to grow
  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