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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: ground · charge · ball · pit · wax · wound · key · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — a price
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wound — an injury
  8. charge — in control
  9. ground — the earth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. cold — not warm
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — a position
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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