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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: bowl · stick · wax · wake · charge · cap · ground · fork

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — a price
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cap — of ice
  14. charge — in control
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wax — for sculpting

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