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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. swing — to play on
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. vault — a safe
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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