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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · charge · march · wax · saw · fork · mouse · pitcher

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. club — for golf
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. club — a group
  22. charge — electricity
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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