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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rock — music
  3. board — a committee
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. club — for golf
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — a container
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — the underground
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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