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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. race — a contest
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wax — in the ear

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