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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wax — to grow
  6. land — to come down
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — a country
  14. cue — a hint
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. board — a committee

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