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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · charge · game · field · wax · track · can · shower

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — a match
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — a hole
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. track — a song
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. can — to be able to
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. game — wild animals
  21. field — for sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. pit — in a race

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