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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 · shower · cue · pitcher · ground · band · wax · chair

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. shower — rain
  5. band — a music group
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chair — a leader
  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