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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. land — a country
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — a container
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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