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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: jam · wax · court · spell · craft · march · pound · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pound — a weight
  3. march — music
  4. spell — magic
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spell — a short time
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spell — letters

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