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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 120 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: charge · wax · track · field · firm · wind · race · chair

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. wind — moving air
  4. firm — a company
  5. race — humankind
  6. wax — to grow
  7. charge — a price
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. race — the arms race
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — a path
  22. charge — in control
  23. firm — decided
  24. race — a contest

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