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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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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wax — to grow
  4. club — a group
  5. swing — music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. roll — a cake
  8. scale — size or range
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — for golf
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. scale — in music
  18. roll — a list
  19. club — for dancing
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. date — the fruit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. swing — to play on

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