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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. drill — a practice
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. drill — army training
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a dance
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. suit — clothes

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