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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. current — electric
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — a subject
  8. pop — soda
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. field — farmland
  17. current — happening now
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. current — of water
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — to visit

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