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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cell — in biology

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