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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 · rock · staff · pitch · foot · wax · mine · race

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — electric
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wax — to grow
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rock — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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