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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: wax · perch · charge · rule · club · fall · board · stock

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rule — government
  3. club — a group
  4. board — a committee
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — the season
  7. charge — in control
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — to get on
  14. stock — goods
  15. fall — to drop
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. stock — shares
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rule — a law
  23. charge — a price
  24. wax — to grow

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