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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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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. current — happening now
  5. club — a group
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. current — of water
  8. spring — of water
  9. band — a music group
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spring — the season
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — to grow
  17. spring — a coil
  18. club — for golf
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tube — a container
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. band — a ring

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