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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a list
  9. pop — music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — soda
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pitcher — a jug

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