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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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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: wax · degree · pop · swing · pound · current · charge · cell

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — soda
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. charge — in control
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — of water
  10. degree — an amount
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — electric
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. swing — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pop — music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — from a university

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