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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: net · squash · staff · wound · scale · fork · wax · charge

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. net — for catching
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — in control
  6. scale — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. staff — employees
  11. net — in sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wax — to grow
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. net — after costs
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. staff — a stick

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