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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: current · bulb · row · pitcher · bat · staff · band · wax

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. current — happening now
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — to grow
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — a line
  19. band — a music group
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bat — for baseball
  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