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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a trace
  13. suit — to fit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitch — completely
  19. march — music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — a stick
  24. squash — to crush

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