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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rock — music
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — a contest
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. race — humankind
  16. charge — electricity
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. chip — to eat

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