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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 · bowl · arm · mouse · stock · current · row · rush

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stock — goods
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. row — a line
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — to paddle
  23. current — of water
  24. row — a quarrel

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