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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: chip · stick · march · cap · bear · season · wax · court

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. court — of a king
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — of law
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — of the year
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wax — to grow

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