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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
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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: game · wax · can · roll · kick · content · chip · prune

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. content — the amount
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. content — happy
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. prune — to trim
  13. roll — a list
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — in football
  20. chip — to eat
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — for betting
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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