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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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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: staff · snap · stock · pitch · straw · saw · wax · charge

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to click
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stock — shares
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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