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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitch — completely
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — to grow
  18. root — of a plant
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — in the ear

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