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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. toast — bread
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mine — belonging to me

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