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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · mine · pitch · charge · rock · board · wax · foot

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mate — a friend
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — to grow
  15. board — to get on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mate — a partner
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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