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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: bass · fork · current · wax · drill · toast · bat · game

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — of water
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wax — to grow
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. game — wild animals
  13. current — happening now
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. current — electric
  23. toast — bread
  24. fork — a garden tool

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