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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: board · mate · content · wax · charge · calf · cue · game

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — a price
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. content — the amount
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — to breed
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. content — happy
  21. board — to get on
  22. charge — electricity
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a partner

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