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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: pop · pass · wax · dip · current · bulb · saw · court

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — happening now
  3. pass — a permit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pop — to visit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of law
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. current — of water
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pop — soda

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