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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
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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: race · wave · key · current · can · scale · degree · wax

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. current — electric
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. key — the most important part
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. scale — in music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. race — a contest
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. key — in music
  22. race — humankind
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — size or range

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