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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: board · can · swing · wax · firm · bass · branch · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — low music
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. swing — in golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wax — to grow
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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