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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. land — to come down
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. board — a committee
  7. firm — steady
  8. land — ground
  9. wax — to grow
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. swing — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — a container
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — to get on
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. tube — the underground

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