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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: wave · fan · pop · pitcher · object · pass · current · firm

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — to protest
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — an aim
  14. current — of water
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — soda
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pop — music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wave — with your hand

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