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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 · charge · wind · pitch · ruler · kid · pit · land

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. land — a country
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — child
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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