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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — to get on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. capital — money
  5. board — a committee
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mark — a grade
  8. date — the fruit
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bound — certain
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rash — a series
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. capital — a city
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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