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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 116 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: fork · pitcher · pop · wax · mine · scale · chip · land

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — in music
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pop — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — soda
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mine — for digging

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