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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: board · field · temple · pass · net · file · staff · wax

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — to get on
  3. staff — a stick
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — a permit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. field — farmland
  13. staff — employees
  14. board — a committee
  15. field — a subject
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. file — a tool
  18. field — for sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. file — a document
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — in the ear

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