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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.

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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: current · stick · safe · stand · racket · wax · ground · swing

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wax — to grow
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. current — electric
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — of water
  21. swing — music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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