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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: wax · swing · rest · firm · race · pit · cell · scale

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. race — humankind
  6. scale — size or range
  7. firm — decided
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wax — to grow
  11. swing — music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — in a race
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — in music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — a phone

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