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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: pit · hide · sharp · charge · bass · wax · mine · key

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pit — a hole
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — low music
  6. charge — in control
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. sharp — clever
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. sharp — with an edge

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