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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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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: sharp · chip · cell · bay · pitcher · wax · leaves · fork

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wax — to grow
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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