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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — of ice
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. content — happy
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — the most important part
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. band — a music group
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cap — a hat
  20. band — a ring
  21. content — the amount
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — a lid

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