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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — the underground
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chip — for betting
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — a break
  14. row — a line
  15. net — for catching
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. net — after costs
  18. tube — a container
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wax — to grow
  22. toast — bread
  23. tube — in a tire
  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