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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: game · board · can · branch · net · wake · wax · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pop — music
  5. board — to get on
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — a trail
  9. game — a match
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — soda
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — wild animals
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. net — in sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wax — to grow
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. board — a committee

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