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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
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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 · plane · jam · root · land · sharp · chip · wax

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. land — a country
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. land — to come down
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. land — ground
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chip — to eat
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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