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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: land · saw · charge · mug · pitcher · wax · fork · roll

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mug — a cup
  4. land — ground
  5. charge — electricity
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — a price
  18. land — a country
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — to come down
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wax — to grow

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