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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: wax · swing · scale · jam · board · ground · pop · date

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. board — a committee
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pop — to visit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. date — the fruit
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. scale — in music
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. date — on the calendar

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