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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — to get on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — a division
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wax — to grow
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — a permit
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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