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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: object · wax · jam · last · pop · board · scale · current

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pop — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — to protest
  7. scale — size or range
  8. last — finally
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. object — an aim
  11. current — electric
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pop — to visit
  16. scale — in music
  17. last — final
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — of water
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — soda

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