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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: bay · squash · swing · rule · game · cabinet · pitcher · wax

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rule — a law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. game — wild animals
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. swing — music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — government
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. squash — to crush
  24. game — a match

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