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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: shower · swing · bowl · cue · key · ground · wax · deal

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. key — in music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — a signal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cue — for pool
  23. shower — rain
  24. wax — in the ear

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