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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. race — humankind
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — for sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. race — a contest
  13. court — of law
  14. plane — a tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. tube — a container
  22. wax — to grow
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. court — of a king

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