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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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