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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: object · mate · pop · board · chip · stick · wax · chest

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — a committee
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. board — to get on
  9. object — an aim
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wax — to grow
  19. object — a thing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — to protest

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