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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.

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: land · rock · net · key · charge · leaves · wax · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — in control
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. key — the most important part
  11. net — in sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. net — for catching
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — a position
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wax — to grow
  19. net — after costs
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. key — for a lock

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