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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 116 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: wind · bulb · track · chip · wax · current

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — electric
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wax — to grow
  12. track — a song
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. track — a path
  16. current — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — moving air

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