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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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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: mine · swing · game · ground · chip · wound · wax · calf

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. swing — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ground — a position
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — a match
  17. ground — crushed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. swing — to play on
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — for digging

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