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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · tube · chip · staff · wax · ball · bat · rule

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a great time
  6. toast — bread
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tube — a container
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ball — a round shape

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