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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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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 · mark · jam · last · can · board · bass · current

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. last — finally
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — happening now
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wax — to grow
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. last — to go on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mark — a trace
  21. board — to get on
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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