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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 124 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tube — a container
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. field — a subject

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