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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. board — a committee
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. scale — size or range
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stock — goods
  19. scale — in music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lean — to bend

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