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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: bear · date · wax · current · deal · pitcher · rule · hand

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — a law
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rule — government
  13. current — of water
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — happening now
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hand — help
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. date — the fruit
  21. current — electric
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bear — the animal

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