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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 116 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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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: staff · chip · bat · wax · board · sharp · prune · key

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. sharp — clever
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — the most important part
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chip — to eat
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — to get on
  24. bat — the animal

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