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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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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 · mark · foot · swing · stick · ground · bore · wax

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bore — to tire
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. swing — music

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