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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: fork · chip · mug · wax · squash · band · rock · bulb

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rock — music
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — in a road

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