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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — to get on
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — soda
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bowl — a dish

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