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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. firm — decided
  3. roll — a list
  4. board — to get on
  5. scale — in music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — rain
  8. wax — to grow
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. scale — size or range
  11. shower — to wash
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. firm — a company
  17. foot — a measure
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. board — a committee
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wax — in the ear

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