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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pop — soda
  5. cue — for pool
  6. board — to get on
  7. band — a music group
  8. wax — to grow
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pop — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — an injury
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — a committee

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