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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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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: snap · stick · perch · pitch · swing · wax · race · mouse

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. swing — music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. race — the arms race
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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