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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · snap · chip · rule · game · pitcher · wax · mark

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chip — for betting
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rule — government
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — wild animals
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — in sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to click
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rule — to rule out

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