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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — a committee
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. scale — in music
  10. squash — to crush
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. scale — size or range
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mouse — for a computer

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