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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: bay · fan · ground · wax · march · charge · racket · suit

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — a position
  3. charge — in control
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. suit — clothes
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — crushed
  18. march — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. suit — in cards
  21. charge — a price
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — to fit
  24. charge — electricity

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