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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: current · field · game · nail · wind · bulb · wax · bank

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wind — moving air
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. field — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — farmland
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — a subject
  19. game — a match
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bank — for money

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