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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: chest · pitcher · mark · board · wax · pit · wave · bowl

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. board — to get on
  24. wave — with your hand

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