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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · board · chair · charge · hand · safe · wax · fine

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hand — help
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — all right
  13. chair — a leader
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. board — to get on
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wax — to grow
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pit — in a race
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wax — in the ear

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