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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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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: swing · season · can · race · wax · pop · fan · charge

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. season — in sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. race — humankind
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — in golf
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — soda
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — a contest
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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