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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. mark — a trace
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. board — a flat piece

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