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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: date · suit · wax · object · bat · charge · sharp · chair

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. charge — in control
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chair — a leader
  18. charge — a price
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — a thing
  23. bat — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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