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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 · board · mate · content · craft · can · mouse · wax

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. content — the amount
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. craft — boats
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — happy
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. can — to be able to
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. board — a committee
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — to get on

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