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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · trunk · race · pitch · clip · current · club · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. club — a group
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. club — for golf
  5. current — electric
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — humankind
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. clip — a video
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — to grow
  13. clip — for paper
  14. race — the arms race
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. current — of water
  21. clip — to cut
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. race — a contest

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