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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kick — in football
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — for dancing
  18. clip — a video
  19. board — to get on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. clip — to cut
  24. scale — in music

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