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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · racket · wax · patient · bass · scale · date

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cap — a lid
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — electric
  9. date — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. scale — in music
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — low music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — happening now

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