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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: net · track · can · wax · swing · pop · drill · straw

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. can — to be able to
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pop — music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — after costs
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. track — a song
  13. pop — soda
  14. wax — to grow
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — in sport
  17. pop — to visit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. track — a path
  20. can — a tin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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