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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 · chip · bass · ball · last · deal · game · saw

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bass — low music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. last — final
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. saw — the tool

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