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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 116 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: wax · racket · row · swing · field · lash · board · chip

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. row — to paddle
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — for sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. swing — music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. field — a subject

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