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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. charge — in control
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — the month
  8. race — the arms race
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — to grow
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. march — music
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. board — a committee
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. charge — electricity
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — a price

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