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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wax — to grow
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of law
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — for sport
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — of water
  20. sharp — clever
  21. court — of a king
  22. spring — the season
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bowl — a dish

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