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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · current · wax · perch · cap · pass · patient · bat

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. perch — the fish
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bat — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — happening now
  23. ground — a position
  24. current — of water

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