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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
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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: board · season · charge · chest · content · swing · cap · wax

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. content — the amount
  3. season — of the year
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — to get on
  6. chest — a box
  7. charge — in control
  8. swing — music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. content — happy
  12. charge — a price
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cap — a lid
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — of your body
  23. season — in sport
  24. cap — a hat

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