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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chip — for betting

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