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

Word bank: chip · wax · pit · rule · swing · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pit — a hole
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — to grow

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