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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spring — the season
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. board — a committee
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. board — to get on
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — a face
  19. ground — a position
  20. object — an aim
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spring — of water
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mug — to rob

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