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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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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 · stick · chest · charge · content · chip · pound · racket

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — happy
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. charge — in control
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. chip — to eat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pound — for dogs

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