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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. march — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — a permit
  16. field — farmland
  17. march — the month
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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