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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: net · date · drill · mate · cabinet · wax · ball · current

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — to breed
  9. drill — army training
  10. current — electric
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. current — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — in sport
  20. mate — a friend
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a dance

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