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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: perch · wax · rest · mark · charge · board · racket · leaves

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — electricity
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — to grow
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. charge — in control
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — a price
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — for tennis

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