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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: wax · march · current · swing · degree · content · stem · bay

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. current — of water
  6. swing — to play on
  7. march — the month
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. content — the amount
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. content — happy
  22. degree — from a university
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — 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