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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kick — in football
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — the amount
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chip — to eat

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