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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — to get on
  4. roll — a list
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. race — humankind
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. charge — in control
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. roll — a cake
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. race — a contest
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. current — of water
  24. charge — a price

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