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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bat — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — goods
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — to protest
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spell — letters
  15. board — a committee
  16. object — a thing
  17. stock — shares
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spell — magic
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. object — an aim
  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