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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.

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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: kick · chip · object · pop · bass · wax · prune · tear

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pop — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. object — to protest
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bass — low music

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