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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 · vault · sharp

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — a law
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — to grow
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. toast — bread
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rule — government
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chip — to eat

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