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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: charge · bat · bark · bowl · plane · ball · game · wax

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a dance
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. charge — a price
  19. game — a match
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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