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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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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: key · calf · wax · sharp · capital · fine · chip · squash

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fine — all right
  3. chip — to eat
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. key — in music
  14. capital — money
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. capital — a city
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fine — high quality
  23. squash — the sport
  24. capital — a big letter

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