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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: stick · staff · charge · wax · pitcher · board · arm · ground

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — a position
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — to get on
  5. charge — in control
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — the earth
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — a price
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ground — crushed
  24. staff — employees

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