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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a word
  4. firm — steady
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. firm — a company
  9. content — happy
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. club — a group
  14. content — the amount
  15. root — the cause
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. firm — decided

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