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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. club — for golf
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. club — a group
  6. object — an aim
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — a thing
  10. club — for dancing
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — help
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. board — a committee
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hand — in cards
  23. board — to get on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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