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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — to grow
  10. current — happening now
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chip — for betting
  16. current — electric
  17. march — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — the month
  23. hand — help
  24. wax — in the ear

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