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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: charge · pass · mouse · stock · wax · present · chair · tube

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. present — there
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stock — goods
  11. charge — a price
  12. present — a gift
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. charge — in control
  22. tube — a container
  23. wax — to grow
  24. present — the time now

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