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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · board · wax · net · rest · game

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. board — a committee
  4. net — in sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. rest — a break
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — a match
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — after costs

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