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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: object · board · race · wax · court · mug · pass · bat

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. court — of a king
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. object — to protest
  8. mug — a face
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. race — the arms race
  11. object — an aim
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. court — of law
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. race — humankind
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mug — a cup
  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