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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: cap · wake · game · chip · wax · can · cue · calf

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — to be able to
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — to grow
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a hint

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