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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. firm — a company
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tube — a container
  10. face — to confront
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — to point toward
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tear — to rip
  21. firm — steady
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. board — to get on
  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