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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · object · cue · mine · chair · pound · wax · fine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — all right
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cue — a hint
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. object — a thing
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — a leader

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