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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. game — a match
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. key — in music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — for betting

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