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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: bat · wax · board · game · fine · coach · chair · rash

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — a series
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. game — wild animals
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a committee
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. game — a match
  13. fine — all right
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bat — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chair — a leader

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