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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: jam · swing · court · ground · racket · pit · straw · wax

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ground — the earth
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. court — of law
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ground — crushed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. swing — music
  16. court — for sport
  17. ground — a position
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — of a king
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. 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