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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: tube · firm · race · chip · board · pitcher · wax · last

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — final
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. firm — decided
  13. race — a contest
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. firm — a company
  24. wax — in the ear

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