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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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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: wax · roll · field · bowl · pass · dip · pitcher · board

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. roll — a list
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — a committee
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — for sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. field — farmland
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pass — a permit

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