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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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468
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. scale — in music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — for betting
  9. can — to be able to
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — clever
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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