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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: toast · court · squash · wax · board · patient · content · file

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a line of people
  8. squash — to crush
  9. court — for sport
  10. file — a document
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wax — to grow
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. content — happy
  21. file — a tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — the vegetable

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