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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: wax · perch · race · club · rock · current

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. race — humankind
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rock — music
  9. race — a contest
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. current — of water
  12. club — for golf
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. current — electric
  15. wax — to grow
  16. current — happening now
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rock — a stone

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