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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 120 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
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: wax · game · dip · pound · chip · racket · season · board

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wax — to grow
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. board — a committee
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — to get on
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — a weight
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — for betting
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — for sculpting

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