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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.

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: racket · scale · wake · wax · charge · present · swing · content

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — a price
  3. swing — music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — happy
  6. charge — electricity
  7. swing — to play on
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. scale — in music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. present — there
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. swing — in golf
  23. present — a gift
  24. scale — size or range

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