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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 116 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — completely
  3. drill — the tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — to eat
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — ground
  9. object — a thing
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — a country
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. land — to come down
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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