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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 116 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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468
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: track · swing · clip · pass · drill · racket · wax · suit

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. swing — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. clip — for paper
  11. suit — in cards
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. drill — army training
  14. swing — in golf
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a song
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pass — a permit

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