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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · fan · jam · wax · temple · charge · field · racket

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. field — farmland
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. field — for sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — to paddle
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. field — a subject
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — in control

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