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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ground — the earth
  4. board — a committee
  5. track — to keep track
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — a path
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. track — a song
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — to get on
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — a position
  24. rash — a series

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