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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: race · swing · wax · coach · roll · pitch · key · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — humankind
  4. wax — to grow
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. swing — music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. key — in music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wax — for sculpting

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