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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 · fan · prune · charge · race · board · march · bulb

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — to grow
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. march — the month
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — humankind
  16. charge — in control
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. race — a contest
  23. fan — a supporter
  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