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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 120 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: pop · staff · racket · court · dip · mark · wax · board

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a trace
  5. board — a committee
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — to visit
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. court — of law
  12. pop — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — of a king
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — to grow
  19. staff — a stick
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. board — to get on
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pop — soda
  24. wax — in the ear

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