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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. net — after costs
  8. game — wild animals
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. swing — music
  14. game — a match
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bass — low music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a line of people

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