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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: pass · club · root · chip · saw · wax · hand · pound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — the cause
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. root — of a word
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pass — a permit
  22. club — for golf
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — in cards

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