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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: board · fork · charge · pop · hand · wax · land · suit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. board — to get on
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pop — to visit
  10. land — a country
  11. wax — to grow
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pop — soda
  16. board — a committee
  17. hand — in cards
  18. land — to come down
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. land — ground
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. charge — electricity

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