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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 · board · dip · march · rule · wake · key · court

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — for sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — government
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — in music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. board — to get on
  17. march — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — for a lock
  20. court — of a king
  21. march — the month
  22. wake — a trail
  23. court — of law
  24. key — the most important part

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