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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · bass · chip · scale · wax · rock · land · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — a stone
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bass — low music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. content — happy
  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