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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · scale · current · chair · wax · content · pound · key

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. key — in music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. scale — in music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. current — happening now
  24. wax — in the ear

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