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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: wax · current · band · lean · club · pitcher · chip · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chip — for betting
  15. can — a tin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — of water
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. club — for golf
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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