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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: shower · wax · stand · pitch · current · tube · bound · track

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bound — obliged
  15. current — of water
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a path
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. track — a song
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — tied together
  23. track — to keep track
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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