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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rash — a series
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of law
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. court — of a king
  22. cell — in biology
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — a phone

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