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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 120 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: cue · present · coach · ball · mine · board · wax · bore

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a committee
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — to tire
  15. present — there
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ball — a dance
  22. present — the time now
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bore — to drill

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