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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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