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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 120 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: club · present · staff · cap · game · wax · mate · swing

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. swing — music
  4. game — a match
  5. swing — in golf
  6. present — there
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. staff — employees
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. club — for golf
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mate — to breed
  14. staff — a stick
  15. present — the time now
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cap — of ice
  19. club — a group
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — wild animals
  22. swing — to play on
  23. present — a gift
  24. mate — a partner

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