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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: jam · press · rest · current · sharp · pitcher · wax · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. current — of water
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — electric
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rest — a break
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — to grow
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pound — to hit hard

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