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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: fall · wax · current · pass · degree · field · rush · pop

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. degree — temperature
  3. field — for sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. current — happening now
  6. fall — the season
  7. rush — hurry
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pop — music
  11. field — a subject
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — of water
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pop — soda
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — electric

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