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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 · pop · current · bound · pass · rest · field · mug

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. field — farmland
  3. bound — certain
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rest — what's left
  7. field — for sport
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mug — a face
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — happening now
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rest — a break
  19. pop — music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rest — what's left

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