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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: craft · firm · current · wax · bore · patient · bass · march

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. current — of water
  4. craft — a skill
  5. firm — a company
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to drill
  8. craft — boats
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. current — electric
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — decided
  18. wax — to grow
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. firm — steady
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. march — the month

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