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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 120 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: wax · spell · ball · kid · snap · chip · craft · content

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spell — magic
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. craft — boats
  9. spell — letters
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. content — happy
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kid — child
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wax — to grow
  18. snap — to click
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. content — the amount
  24. kid — to tease

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