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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — to get on
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — a hat
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pound — a weight
  11. board — a committee
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — of ice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. nail — for a hammer

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