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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 · board · can · cap · drill · press · game · pop

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — to get on
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cap — a lid
  13. drill — a practice
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pop — to visit
  16. game — a match
  17. press — to push
  18. pop — soda
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. board — a flat piece

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