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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: charge · staff · bear · pound · game · ball · wax · race

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a great time
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. charge — a price
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pound — a weight
  13. game — a match
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — a stick
  18. race — a contest
  19. staff — employees
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ball — a dance

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