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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 · coach · dip · wax · pitcher · mug · march · board

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — the month
  3. club — for golf
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — to grow
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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