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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 116 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
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Word bank
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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pit — a hole
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stock — shares
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — for digging
  22. charge — in control
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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