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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: saw · wax · charge · season · object · rest · pitcher · pitch

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rest — what's left

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