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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: chip · fine · file · wax · sharp · pitch · net · tear

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — all right
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. sharp — clever
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. file — a document
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — in sport
  21. tear — to rip
  22. net — for catching
  23. file — a tool
  24. chip — for betting

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