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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: current · pit · mate · wax · degree · spring · date · mark

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spring — a coil
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — of water
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spring — the season
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — electric
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pit — in a race
  24. date — the fruit

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