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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 120 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 · march · fan · current · pound · content · object · stick

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — happy
  24. current — happening now

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