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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. firm — steady
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — decided
  7. land — to come down
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — a country
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — the fish
  13. firm — a company
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lean — to bend
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lean — thin
  24. wax — for sculpting

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