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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: jam · wax · bat · pound · fine · board · bowl · firm

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. board — to get on
  7. firm — steady
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — all right
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fine — high quality
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — for baseball

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