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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: squash · march · calf · saw · cap · current · wax · pitcher

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cap — a lid
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cap — of ice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — music

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