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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. current — of water
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — certain
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. stand — to bear
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. land — ground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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