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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cap — a lid
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — a hat
  20. suit — to fit
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — in cards
  24. tear — from crying

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