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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.

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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: wax · club · pop · rest · charge · ball · ground · pound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ground — a position
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pop — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — in control
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — a group
  21. pop — to visit
  22. charge — a price
  23. club — for golf
  24. ground — crushed

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