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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — to crush
  8. court — of law
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. court — for sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — a division
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wax — to grow
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. board — a committee

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