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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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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — for sport
  4. land — a country
  5. wax — to grow
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bore — to drill
  9. charge — in control
  10. land — to come down
  11. pitch — completely
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — of a king
  17. land — ground
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. court — of law
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — a sports field

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