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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: wax · bulb · racket · chip · pitch · fine · object · race

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — all right
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — an aim
  5. fine — high quality
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. race — a contest
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — in the ear
  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