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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: kick · race · fan · charge · band · net · wax · club

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. net — for catching
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. race — the arms race
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — humankind
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. club — for dancing
  12. band — a ring
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — for golf
  15. race — a contest
  16. net — in sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — after costs
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. club — a group
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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