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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: cap · club · roll · charge · ball · wax · chair · current

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — in control
  5. current — electric
  6. club — for dancing
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. current — of water
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — for golf
  21. roll — a list
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cap — a hat

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