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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: prune · ball · suit · wax · date · firm · march · current

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. suit — clothes
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. current — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. march — music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. suit — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — electric
  20. firm — a company
  21. ball — a great time
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. current — happening now
  24. suit — to fit

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