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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chip — for betting
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. deal — to handle
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cell — in biology
  14. game — a match
  15. board — to get on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. toast — bread
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. board — a committee

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