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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: bear · sharp · pitcher · track · wax · face · club · charge

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — a group
  3. charge — a price
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — in control
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. club — for dancing

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