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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. court — of law
  3. land — to come down
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — a country
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — for betting
  14. court — of a king
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. court — for sport
  17. land — ground
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stock — goods
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stock — shares

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