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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lean — thin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. firm — steady
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — in a race
  13. march — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. swing — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. firm — decided
  24. racket — for tennis

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