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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: bowl · cap · bass · wax · toast · chip · tube · game

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. tube — a container
  8. game — a match
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — low music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cap — of ice
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chip — in a computer

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