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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: track · fine · wax · spell · net · current · row · saw

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. net — after costs
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — high quality
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — all right
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. net — in sport
  17. wax — to grow
  18. track — a path
  19. current — electric
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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