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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: dip · game · swing · wax · rule · pitcher · coach · fall

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rule — government
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fall — the season
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — a law
  19. game — a match
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. swing — to play on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to dunk

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