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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · wax · chip · bulb · staff · drill · pit · degree

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. drill — army training
  7. degree — from a university
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. staff — a stick
  14. degree — temperature
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. drill — a practice

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