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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. present — there
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. net — after costs
  6. track — a path
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. track — to keep track
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — in sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — in sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. season — of the year
  21. net — for catching
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. track — a song

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