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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: charge · board · game · pass · calf · bulb · wax · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — in control
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pass — a permit
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — a match
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — a young animal

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