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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. net — after costs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — in control
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — a price
  17. net — in sport
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — for catching
  24. mouse — the animal

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