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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: wax · pound · current · board · calf · foot · game · racket

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — electric
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pound — a weight
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — a measure
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. game — a match

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