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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: ground · squash · fan · wax · current · rock · pitch · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — a position
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rock — a stone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. current — electric
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. current — happening now
  24. squash — to crush

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