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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.

Words on the sheet
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: fine · pitch · key · wax · trunk · degree · bowl · swing

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. degree — temperature
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. key — for a lock
  13. swing — in golf
  14. key — in music
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — high quality

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