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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — in music
  6. club — for golf
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — a committee
  13. wax — to grow
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. date — the fruit
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. board — to get on
  24. ball — a great time

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