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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wax · foot · tube · court · swing · dip · mate

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tube — the underground
  6. swing — music
  7. court — for sport
  8. swing — to play on
  9. court — of law
  10. tube — a container
  11. mate — a friend
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. swing — in golf
  14. board — to get on
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — a committee
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. court — of a king
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — a measure
  24. dip — a sauce

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