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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 116 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: calf · content · wax · rock · hand · club · board · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — a committee
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. content — the amount
  7. club — a group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rock — a stone
  24. club — for golf

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