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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — a committee
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — wild animals
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chip — to eat
  22. game — a match
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — for baseball

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