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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 · chest · toast · wax · straw · pitch · bass · bay

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chest — of your body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chest — a box
  10. toast — bread
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — in the ear

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