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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: racket · toast · wax · chip · craft · rule

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wax — to grow
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rule — government
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting

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