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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: chest · pit · track · mark · wax · charge · bore · cue

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — a song
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — a path
  15. charge — in control
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chest — a box
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mark — a trace

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