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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chip — to eat
  3. staff — a stick
  4. firm — steady
  5. craft — a skill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cue — for pool
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. staff — employees
  13. firm — decided
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — boats
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — a hint

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