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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: chip · bear · wax · season · rock · file · pound · fine

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. file — a tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — in sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. season — of the year
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — 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