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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: fine · swing · wax · track · spell · mine · net · mouse

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — after costs
  7. fine — all right
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — for catching
  14. swing — to play on
  15. spell — letters
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. swing — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mine — for digging

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