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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: craft · board · land · nail · charge · pitch · capital · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — a price
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — in control
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — a country
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. capital — a city
  16. wax — to grow
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — a skill
  19. land — ground
  20. board — to get on
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. land — to come down
  24. craft — boats

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