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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. swing — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — a measure

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