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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: stand · track · club · pound · current · chip · wax · last

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. club — a group
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a song
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pound — a weight
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — happening now
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — to eat
  17. last — final
  18. track — a path
  19. current — electric
  20. last — finally
  21. chip — for betting
  22. club — for golf
  23. last — to go on
  24. stand — on your feet

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