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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. track — a song
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — certain
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — for pool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. track — to keep track

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