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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — the underground
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — a container
  18. bass — low music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bass — the fish
  23. game — a match
  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