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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. field — farmland
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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