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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: board · chest · staff · club · wax · ball · stick · deal

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wax — to grow
  9. board — to get on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. club — a group
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. club — for golf
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chest — a box
  22. board — a committee
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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