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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: leaves · club · prune · bound · current · wax · pop · foot

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. current — of water
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pop — to visit
  14. club — a group
  15. current — electric
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — to grow
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — for golf

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