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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. court — for sport
  11. land — a country
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. court — of a king
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. land — ground
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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