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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.

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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: pit · ruler · nail · wax · game · charge · bat · craft

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. craft — boats
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pit — a hole
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. charge — a price
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. charge — in control
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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