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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: net · saw · charge · pitcher · track · tear · wax · mouse

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — a path
  8. charge — a price
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. track — a song
  12. charge — in control
  13. net — in sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tear — to rip
  18. net — for catching
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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