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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: club · bear · saw · board · charge · bark · season · wax

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. charge — electricity
  8. season — in sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. bark — to shout
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — a price
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. saw — the tool

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