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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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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: ruler · wax · craft · current · club · bass · fan · bulb

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. current — of water
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — happening now
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bulb — of a plant

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