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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: wax · wound · track · foot · firm · charge · racket · object

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. charge — in control
  6. firm — steady
  7. track — a song
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — to grow
  10. charge — electricity
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. track — a path
  18. object — a thing
  19. firm — a company
  20. object — an aim
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — decided
  24. charge — a price

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