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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: bark · plane · pitch · toast · wax · chip · bore · racket

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bore — to tire
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — to drill
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. toast — bread
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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