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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: chip · season · wax · court · foot · club · chest · track

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — for betting
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. club — a group
  13. court — of a king
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — to eat
  18. court — of law
  19. chest — a box
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — a path
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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