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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: leaves · racket · game · wax · date · board · bound · kick

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bound — tied together
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — wild animals
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — to get on
  22. game — a match
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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