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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: wax · charge · club · staff · stand · pitcher · field · plane

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. club — a group
  3. field — a subject
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. charge — in control
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — electricity
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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