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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: swing · pitcher · wax · bore · bark · spell · jam · ball

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. swing — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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