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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
468
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: ground · mug · racket · wax · roll · land · board · mouse

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a cup
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. board — a committee
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. roll — a list
  14. mug — to rob
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. land — ground
  17. board — to get on
  18. wax — to grow
  19. land — to come down
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mug — a face
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. land — a country

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