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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.

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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: pitch · charge · wax · last · jam · cue · temple · rush

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. charge — in control
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. last — finally
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. last — final
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — a hint
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. charge — a price
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cue — a signal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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