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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 · mug · rest · jam · roll · ball · chip · current

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mug — a face
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. roll — a list
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mug — a cup
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — of water
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wax — to grow
  24. roll — a cake

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