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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mug — a face
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. scale — in music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — a line
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — to rob

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