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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. file — a document
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cue — a hint
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mug — a face
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — shares
  19. file — a tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a cup

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