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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a music group
  5. file — a document
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a dance
  8. file — a tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. court — of a king
  19. wax — to grow
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. band — a ring
  24. suit — in cards

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