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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — there
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. game — a match
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. present — a gift
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — the time now
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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