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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: fan · current · saw · mark · cue · wax · stock · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — happening now
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — to grow
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — a hint
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — a grade
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — goods
  21. current — of water
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — shares
  24. mark — a trace

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