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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — to grow
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pit — a hole
  13. band — a ring
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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