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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: mate · ruler · rock · cold · chip · wax · pitcher · bear

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rock — music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitcher — a jug

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