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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. content — the amount
  12. field — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — a signal
  16. march — music
  17. content — happy
  18. cue — for pool
  19. field — a subject
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. field — farmland
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — moving air

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