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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: current · kid · charge · bowl · wax · land · saw · bass

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. charge — in control
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — electric
  6. charge — a price
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. land — ground
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. land — to come down
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. land — a country
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — of water
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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