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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 116 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: ball · wax · chip · bound · content · board · rash · prune

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. content — the amount
  15. board — to get on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bound — certain
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. content — happy
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — a series
  24. chip — for betting

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