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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: cap · ball · game · patient · jam · board · wax · bowl

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cap — a lid
  9. game — a match
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cap — a hat
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. game — wild animals
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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