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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: suit · swing · nail · ground · cap · wax · calf · stock

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ground — crushed
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. suit — clothes
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — goods
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. swing — in golf

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