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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wax — to grow
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fork — in a road
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hand — help
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. board — a committee
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. roll — a cake
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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